The 90-year-old shipping pioneer and founder and group chairman of the Evergreen Group Chang Yung-fa passed away at 11.05am on Wednesday.
A Brief Bio of the legendary Shipping Business Tycoon:
- Chang was born in Suao, Yilan County of northeastern Taiwan in October 1927.
- At the age of 18, he went to work in the Taipei office of a Japanese shipping line.
- After World War II, he joined the seagoing staff of a local shipping company as the third officer and after working for various local businesses, he progressed through the ranks to captain.
- In 1968, Chang established his own company, Evergreen Marine Corp.
- The company grew at a tremendous rate and by 1985, it had become the world’s largest container ship operator.
- Chang was ranked as the 17th richest person in Taiwan in Forbes magazine’s 2015 billionaire list with a fortunes of US$1.6 billion.
- Chang set up the Chang Yung-fa Foundation in 1985 to promote cultural, educational and charity activities.
- He announced in 2012 that he would donate all of his fortune for public welfare.
- Chang has turned an important page in the development history of Taiwan from being a seaman, tycoon and a philanthropist.
Source: Taiwan News
